Controlling device.



5 0 9 1 4 1 R A M D E T N E T A P L. s.- WALLE. CONTROLLING DEVIGE.

APPLIUAIION FILED 1330.29, 1903.

2 III INVENTOR AP Z/M.

WI TNESSES BY HA5 ATTORNEY Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

LUDIVIG S. TVALLE, OF BROOKLYN,

NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO FRIDTJOF JEBSEN, OF BERGEN, NORWAY.

CONTROLLING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 784,717, dated March 14, 1905.

Application filed December 29, 1903. Serial No. 187,077.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUDWIG S. WALLE, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for controlling mechanical movement and is adapted to be used in connection with mechanisms of various kinds where it is desired to control or hold one or more of the elements of the mechanism in their cycle of motion.

The object of my invention is to provide a device by means of which the movement of a mechanism may be controlled in the simplest possible manner and with a minimum expenditure of energy. To accomplish this re sult, I employ a toggle-movement in which one element of the toggle is connected. to a movable part of the mechanism to be controlled in such a manner that when the toggle is held at any point the movements of the connecting parts of the mechanism are also held or stopped in their motion. It is a wellknown mechanical fact 'th at when a toggle is in such a position that the centers about which the elements pivot are brought into the same straight line it becomes fixed in position relative to any force brought to bear in the direction of this center line and that the nearer the centers are to being in this position the less is the force necessary to balance or hold the toggle against a counter force acting in the direction of the center.

lines of the toggle-arms. Applying this principle to my invention I provide a togglemovement which is preferably composed of two links, one of which is connected to amovable part of a mechanism in such a manner that the resistance to the movement of this mechanism will be in the direction of the center line of said link, which forms one element of the toggle. To hold the toggle in a p0sition Where the centers are sufiiciently off from the center line to prevent looking, I provide at the joint between the links a polepiece and an electromagnet so constructed I that when the current flows in the coil thereof the said pole-piece is held by the electromagnet, thus holding the toggle and the connected mechanism.

It will be evident from the following description that various other means may be employedin specific cases to hold the toggle; but I have used the electromagnet in this illustration, as it presents many advantages, such as the control from a distance, &c.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional side elevation of a device embodying my invention. The section is taken on the line A B shown in Fig. 2, which is a plan view of Fig. 1, with the top or cover of the casing removed. In this illustration I have shown the device as adapted to control a mechanism having a rotatable shaft with an offset forming a crank to which the toggle is attached.

One very important and useful application of this device is to a semaphore signal system for railroads where by the use of connectinggearing or other suitable means the movement and position of the semaphore-arm are controlled electricallyfrom a distance. Such a signal system is shown and described in my application for United States patent filed contemporaneously with this one under Serial No. 187,076.

At 1 is shown an outer housing or casing of any suitable material, and at 2 a cover for the same.

At 3 is shown a rotatable shaft, which may form a part of any mechanism and which has an offset 4, forming a crank, and maybe provided at one end with a pulley 5, from which the motion may be transmitted to other parts of the mechanism by means of a belt 6.

At 7 is shown a connecting-link between the offset or crank 4 and a lever S, by means of which the toggle-movement formed by links 9 and 10 is connected and controls the rotation of shaft 3. One of the toggle-links, as 10, is preferably pivoted at one end to a fixed pivot, such as 1 1, while the other togglelink, such as 9, is pivoted to lever 8 at 12, and the two toggle-links being pivoted together at the point 13, at which point the toggle is broken by the movement of the mechanism which rotates the shaft 3 and brings the toggle with its connecting parts to the position shown by the dotted lines. At this point 13 is provided a pole-piece, such as 14, which when the toggle is in its lowest or holding position, as shown in the full lines, is held by the electromagnet 15. It is seen that on account of the relative positions of the pivotal points 11, 12, and 13 very little magnetic energy will need to be provided by electromagnet 15 in order to hold the toggle in this position, and so prevent the shaft 3 from rotating. As long as current flows in the coil the pole-piece 14 will be held down and the further rotation of the shaft prevented; but as soon as the circuit is broken in the electromagnet the toggle will be released, allowing the shaft to rotate one complete revolution, when if the circuit is again made through the coil the toggle will be held as before; otherwise the rotation will continue until circuit is made. The counterweight 16 at the end of the angular extension of link 9 is for the purpose of counteracting the weight of the pole-piece 1.4 and connecting-links 9 and 10 of the toggle and tends to open or break the toggle and allow the shaft to rotate when the pole-piece 14 is released by the holding-magnet 15. This insures an immediate release of the mechanism under control without the expenditure of additional energy to break the toggle at starting, as would be necessary if no such means were provided.

At 18 and 19 are shown terminals for the electromagnet-coil 15, from which connection may be made to a distant point, thus providing a very desirable and convenient means for controlling the mechanism, it being only necessary to supply suflicient current to magnetize the core and hold the polepiece, as explained. I have shown two coils 15 for convenience in this illustration; but it is evident that one coil of sufficient size may be used instead of two. In. fact, the construction shown in the drawings is intended to illustrate one specific form and adaptation of my invention to a mechanism where the rotation of a shaft is to be controlled. It will be evident that it can be applied to mechanisms of various kinds and for many pur poses, whereby a change in the details of construction to adapt it to the particular use desired will render it very valuable.

I do not confine myself, therefore, to the specific construction shown, from which it will be evident many changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is 1. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, means for positively connecting an element of said toggle to a movable part of a mechanism, whereby the movements of each are coexistent and means for holding said toggle at a predetermined point of its movement so as to control the movement of said mechanism.

2. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement composed of two links one of which is positively connected to a movable part of a mechanism, whereby the movements of each are coexistent, and means for holding said toggle at a predetermined point of its movement so as to control the movement of said mechanism.

3. In a device to control mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, means for connecting said mechanical movement to said toggle whereby the movements of each are coexistent, and means for holding said toggle at a predetermined point of its movement to control the movement of said mechanism.

1. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, means for positively connecting said toggle to a movable part of a mechanism whereby the movements of each are coexistent, an electromagnet for holding said toggle at a predetermined point of its movement so as to control the movement of said mechanism.

5. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, means for positively connecting said toggle to a movable part of said mechanism whereby the movements of each are coexistent, an electromagnet for holding said toggle, and a pole-piece connected to said toggle and held at a predetermined point of its movement by said magnet so as to control the movement of said mechanism.

6. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, a lever fulcrumed between the ends thereof and having one end connected to said toggle and the other end thereof to a movable part of a mechanism, and means for holding said toggle at a predetermined point of its movement so as to control the movement of said mechanism.

7. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement connected to a rotatable shaft having an offset forming a crank, and means for holding said toggle so as to prevent the rotation of said shaft at a predetermined point of its movement.

8. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, a rotating member operatively connected to said toggle whereby the move ments of each are coexistent, and means for holding said toggle so as to control the movement of said rotating member at a predetermined point in its cycle of motion.

9. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, means for connecting an element of said toggle to a movable part of a mechanism, means for holding said toggle so as to control the movement of said mechan ism, and means attached to an element of said toggle to open or break the toggle when released by said holding means.

10. In a device for-controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, means for connecting an element of said toggle to a movable part of a mechanism, means for holding said toggle so as to control the movement of said mechanism, and a counterweight acting in conjunction with said toggle to open or break the toggle when released by said holding means.

11. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, a rotating member operatively connected to said toggle whereby the movements of each are coexistent and have a coextensive cycle of motion, and means for holding said toggle at a predetermined point in its cycle of motion to control the movement of said rotating member.

12. In a device for controlling mechanical movement, the combination of a togglemovement, a rotating member operatively connected to said toggle whereby the movements of each are coexistent and have a coextensive cycle of motion, and means for holding said toggle at the point in its cycle of motion in which the toggle is nearest to its straight or locked position to control the movement of said rotating member.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State Of New York, this 10th day of December. A. D.-1903.

LUDWIG S. WVALLE.

WVitnesses:

Lnwrs J. DOOLITTLE, FRIDTJOF JEBsEN. 

